IPC awards recognize today’s professional photographers and future innovators

GaryPageau ,
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Pictured (l. to r.) Rising Star Jarrett Esaw, nominated by FujiFilm; Justin Black, nominated by FujiFilm; Tal Shpantzer, nominated by American Photographic Artists; Douglas Dubler III, nominated by Zeiss; Bing Liem, President & Executive Board Member, IPC and Division President of the Imaging Solutions Division, FUJIFILM North America Corp., Nancy Borowick, nominated by SONY; Kathy Jello, Vice President and Executive Board Member IPC; Ben Shirk, nominated by Professional Photographers of America; and Jabin Botsford, nominated by Tiffen Company.
Photo by Juan Cespedes for Fred Marcus Studios.

The International Photographic Council (IPC) held its annual Professional Photographer Achievement Awards luncheon May 6, 2026, at the United Nations. The annual event recognizes the achievements of leading professional photographers and recognizes up-and-coming photographers. The IPC also awards scholarships to students at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the School of Visual Arts, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and NYC/Tisch.

The keynote speaker was Peter Hurley, the renowned portrait photographer, author, speaker, and coach.

Peter Hurley; photo by Brandon Remler

Celebrity headshot photographer Hurley reflected on the enduring emotional power of photography, comparing the excitement of modern portrait work to the classic darkroom experience of watching an image slowly appear in developer chemicals. “That’s the dopamine hit,” he says, describing the thrill photographers still chase today. Despite spending the last 25 years photographing people “three feet in front of me at 92 mm and I love it,” Hurley said the excitement has never faded. He recalls becoming so energized during a magazine cover shoot that he nearly passed out afterward from adrenaline.

A defining moment came when Alex Rodriguez reviewed images on Hurley’s tethered computer and told him, “Nobody ever spoke to me like that. Nobody ever directed me like that.” The exchange reinforced Hurley’s belief that portrait photography is really about coaching people and helping them feel comfortable in front of the camera. Self-taught through years of “trial and error,” Hurley shares practical posing advice—especially his famous emphasis on creating a strong jawline, a technique that inspired his viral “shebang” catchphrase. More importantly, he says his purpose is “to make people feel better about themselves from being in front of a camera, period.” Hurley argues that photographers carry a larger responsibility beyond creating flattering images. In a world increasingly shaped by AI imagery, he insists, “AI is not capturing history. You guys have to do it.”

PIC Zeiss Photo Competition

IPC Zeiss Photo Competition launched with a presentation by Zeiss Ambassador Ilan Derech, with an assignment to test drive the new Zeiss OTUS ML lenses. The students (at right) participated in a photo competition with the theme of Community Building. Pictured (l. to r.) Tony Wisniewski from Zeiss and student participants Julia Knoll, SVA; Brody Xavier Carlson, RIT; Elleah Gipson, NYU Tisch; Tessa Dillman, NYU Tisch; Isahel Reynoso, FIT; Nina Perricone, FIT and Isaac Wheatley, NYU Tisch (missing from the photo is Julia Smerling, NYU Tisch). First, second and third place winners received a NEW Zeiss lens as a prize, and others an honorable mention. The students participating are 2025 and 2026 IPC James L. Chung Memorial Scholarship Recipients. Photo by Juan Cespedes for Fred Marcus Studios.

 

IPC Professional Photographer Awards

The IPC Professional Photographer Awards were presented to Justin Black, an American photographer, educator, and conservation advocate, nominated by Fujifilm; Nancy Borowick, an internationally renowned photographer, author, teacher and speaker, nominated by Sony; Jabin Botsford, a Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist and visual storyteller documenting power, politics, and the defining moments of contemporary America, nominted by Tiffen; Douglas Dubler III is a fashion and beauty photographer, nominagted by Zeiss; Ben Shirk, an internationally award-winning photographer known for his bold, cinematic portraiture and powerful visual storytelling, nominated by PPA; and Tal Shpantzer, who has been extensively exhibited, collected, and reviewed in her career spanning several decades and continents, nominated by APA.

IPC Rising Star Award

IPC President Bing Liem with Jarrett Esaw, Photo by Brandon Remler

The IPC Rising Star Award was presented to Jarrett Esaw, a photographer born and raised in New York City. His work is rooted in street photography while naturally extending across a range of photographic genres. Esaw was nominated by Fujifilm.

 

James L. Chung Memorial Scholarships

The recipients of James L. Chung Memorial Scholarships were Brody Xavier Carlson, RIT; Julia Knoll, School of Visual Arts; Isahel Reynoa, FIT; and Julia Smerling, NYU/Tisch.

IPC photo gallery

 

 

 

 

Written by 

Gary Pageau is principal of InfoCircle LLC, continuing his marketing communications career. InfoCircle LLC is a marketing and communications consulting firm, specializing in business-to-business markets. For nearly 25 years, he was with PMA International, serving most recently as Publisher, Content Development and Strategic Initiatives. His primary responsibilities included overseeing the Association’s editorial department, marketing research unit, education and corporate relations department.